Supporting mechanism.



T. B. RULE. SUPPORTING MECHANISM. APPLICATION mm Aumn, mie- LQ6LS56. Patented Apr. 9,1918.

III!

a am I 3 INVENTOR ATTORNEY THOMAS IB, RULE, OF ARKLOW, IRELAND.

SUPPORTING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. RULE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Arklow, Ireland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supporting Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to adjustable supporting mechanism.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved type of mechanism of this nature which may for instance be used to supportan electric lamp or fixture and which will remain in adjusted position through frictional engagement ofelements employed and which elements are mounted and constructed so as to be unaffected by the movement or adjustment of the article supported.

In addition, I aim to provide an outlet member having an outlet means for an electric wife and a pivot with a conical wall, an outlet. member into which the pivot extends, a sleeve to engage the pivot member, means on the outlet member to prevent turning of the sleeve relatively to the pivot and means cooperating with the outlet member to vary the degree of frictional contact between the pivot and the sleeve.

lVith the above and additional objects, such as will hereinafter appear, in view, the invention has been embodied in one preferred form, due regards being given to the efliciency and durability of the parts and their cost of manufacture, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating the improvements applied to an electric lamp' or fixture;

Fig. 2 is a view mostly in vertical section, on an enlarged scale, through the improved joint employed;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through a second form of joint which may be employed;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view onthe line 5-5 of Fig. l;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

Application filed August 17, 1916. Serial No. 115,421.

Fig. 6 is a detail view partly in plan and partly in section showing the connection of the pivot member to its support, and

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

Referring specifically to the drawings, wherein like reference-characters designate like or similar parts, my improvements may be used in connection with any preferred article to be supported but has particularly been devised for use in connection with an electric lamp. Let 7 represent any suitable form of outlet member, which may be attached to any suitable support, for instance a wall, ceiling, or standard, and which is hollow and is as well provided with an outlet-opening 8 so that electric wires 9 may pass therethrough. The supporting arm may be generally designated 10 and the lamp or other article supported thereby be generally designated 11. By means of a swivel head 12 and other details of construction to be described, the arm 10 is supported from the member 7 to swing therefrom in any suitable plane according to the position of the part and for instance in a horizontal plane as suggested by Fig. 1 of the drawings. At the same time the arm 10 is composed of a plurality of sections 13 and let pivoted to-' gether at 15 for movement in a plane at right angles to the general path of movement of the arm. 7

Outlet 7 includes a bracket 16 througl which the opening 8 is specifically provided and which is also provided with a sleeve 17 through which a pivot member 18 passes and is fastened thereto by soldering or by means of a set screw 19. 'Member 18 has pivot portions 20 one extending on each of opposite sides beyond the sleeve 17. Slidably mounted on each pivot portion 20 is a retarder block 21 having an opening corresponding to the shape of the pivot portion and at the opening adapted to frictionally engage the pivot portion. The block has a longitudinal groove 22 into which a pin 23 may extend to prevent turning ofthe friction sleeves or blocks relatively to the pivot portion. These pins 23 are preferably mounted by means of screw threads at 2 1 from the head 12. Blocks 21 are reduced so as to provide shoulders at 25 to be engaged and held in place by gland extensions 26 of adjusting nuts 27. The glandextensions have screw threaded engagement at 28 with the inner walls of tubular extensions 29 of the head 12. The nuts 27 also preferably have externally knurled or roughened ringsof greater diameter than the diameter of the portions 29 and connected to the gland extension 26 by means. of webs 31 integral with the extensions and" with therings. By means of the rings 30, the nut 27 may bemanually ad.

justed.

Armsscction 13-; and. accordingly the lamp 11. may. be adj ustedaxially of the section 10 which. is; advantageous especially where the lamp 11 is in such a position that the. arm

sections 13 and 14 are disalined'. To this encharm 10 isprovided with an arcuateslot extends removably into an aperture 32 of section'l3; Thispin and aperture have tapering'walls to prevent thepin falling into theinteriorof section 13. The end of the section 13- adjacent the pin 33 terminates in a lug 35 to which is fastened as by rivets 36., an expansive metallic split ring 37 which.

exerts a frictionalpressnre or has abinding actionwith the bore wall of the section 10 and: holds the army 13. in: the position to which it may be adjusted. Pin 33 prevents accidental detachment of the arm sections. A- suitable ornamental nut 38 may be. screw threaded as-at39. to the exterior. of'the section. 10 over the slot 32 and the pin-33 so. as tozprevent outward displacement; of the pin.

In assembling the parts, the nuts 27 are adjustedso that the blocks 21 will. engage the: pivot portions 20 frictionally'to the desired degree. Movement of the nut is imparted tothe blocks since the gland extensions 26 abut the shoulders 25 of the block. The arm 10 may then be swung from the portions 20. as pivots and will remain in adjusted position due to the contact of the blocks .21 with the pivots20. In addition, the lamp ll'may be moved from-the pivot. 15

in aplane at right angles to the general plane of movement of the arm 10. Espe ci'ally when the lamp 11 is at an angle to the arm 10 it may be moved'to turn the arm section axially to'secure further desired ad justment, of the lamp.

It might be mentioned further that in assembling the parts, element .16 is inserted through: the opening'of the swivel head 12 and" the rear of arm 10 and'then the pivot memberlS is inserted and soldered or fastened by means of the set screw 19.. Blocks 21'- are then positioned and-later the pins-23, and: nuts 27 areiiapplied.

2. Supporting mechanism having. a. swivel head, said head having a hollow portion provided with screw threads thereat, pivot.

means extending. into: said hollow portion,

saidzpivot means having an inclined wall,.a; retarder' member slidable" on said pivot.

means at said wall, said retarder haV-inga longitudinally disposed groove, meanssonthe hollow portion extending into'said groove, said retarder means having a shoulder, an'd a nut extending-into said hollow portion. en-

gaging said shoulder and provided. Wltllr screw threads to engage the sa d screw threads of the hollow portion.

3. Supporting mechanism having a. sup-- porting arm, a supporting head thereon, said head. having portions extending at. an angle to the arm and'on opposite sides of. the arm, said headalso beingcut away opposite said arm, a supporting member extendinginto said cutaway portion, a pivot means-ex tending from opposite sides. of the.support-- ing member, and meansin-said portions of the head to mount said pivot means.-

4. Supporting mechanism having a. slips.

porting arm, a supporting. head thereon,

said head having portions extendingat.an angle to the arm and on OPPOSQltQSIldQSTQfthG' arm, said head also being cut away opposite said arm, a supporting member extending.

into said cut away portion, a-pivot means ex tending from opposite sides of thesupporting member, means in said portionsof-the head to mount said pivotmeans ,.said sup.- porting memberalso having an opening, and electric conductor means extending through said-opening and said arm.

5. Supporting mechanism havingv an armsection, a second arm section, an article-supported by'one of: said'arm sections, oneof. said arm sections having an elongated-slot, the other of said arm sections having. a slot with a substantially tapered wall, a pinito fit the latter-*slot projecting into. the first mentioned slot, one ofsaid arm sections having a lug, and a ring'fasteneclto said lugjexpansible; to. frictionally engage the othergof said sections and fasten the article in adable over said first mentioned slot and pin 10 to prevent displacement of the pin.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS B. RULE.

justed positions through axial movement of one of the sections.

6. Supporting mechanism having an arm section, a second arm section, an article supported by one of said arm sections, one of said arm sections having an elongated slot, the other of said arm sections having a slot, a loose pin in the latter slot projecting into the first mentioned slot, and means dispos- Witnesses MARGARET SHEEHY, JAMES ONEILL.

Goplee of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patente, Washington, D. 0. 

